What is inflammation?
Inflammation is your body's natural response to an invader or irritant. When tissues are injured or infected, your immune system releases chemicals that make blood vessels leak fluid into the tissues, causing swelling. This protects healthy tissues from further damage while also allowing immune cells to enter and repair wounds or fight infection.
Some key points about inflammation:
- It's a normal and necessary process for healing and fighting disease. Acute inflammation lasts for a few days and goes away once healing occurs.
- Too much inflammation for too long (known as chronic inflammation) can cause tissue damage and has been linked to various diseases like cancer, diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and more.
Common causes of inflammation include:
- Infections from bacteria, viruses, parasites
- Injuries and wounds
- Toxins from pollutants or unhealthy foods
- Stress
- Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
Signs of inflammation may include:
- Redness
- Heat
- Swelling
- Pain
- Loss of function
To reduce inflammation naturally, try:
- Getting good sleep
- Exercising regularly
- Eating more fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts
- Taking anti-inflammatory supplements like turmeric, omega-3 fish oils, green tea, etc. Revive Hormone Institute offers customized anti-inflammatory hormone protocols utilizing bioidentical hormones to help patients find natural relief from chronic inflammation.